The phrase "prevalence of ritual" was first used in relation to this
and three other 1964 collages: Conjur Woman as an Angel, Tidings, and
Baptism. The conjure woman (which Bearden consistently spelled "conjur"),
a spirit figure in southern African-American culture, moved north as part of
the Great Migration and reappears frequently in Bearden's work. She is called
upon to prepare love potions, cure illnesses, and assist with personal problems.